Pharmacology · Benzodiazepines
Oxazepam !
A short-to-intermediate benzodiazepine with no active metabolites, used for anxiety and alcohol withdrawal, often when the liver is damaged.
Updated 2026-11-01
The figure shows diazepam, a benzodiazepine that occupies the same site, bound to the human GABA-A receptor (α1β2γ2) with GABA; no structure with oxazepam is available.
Mechanism of action
Oxazepam binds the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor and makes GABA open the chloride channel more often. It is itself a metabolite of diazepam and is simply glucuronidated to an inactive product.
- Binds the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor
- GABA opens the chloride channel more often
- Glucuronidated to an inactive product
Pharmacokinetics
- Metabolism
- A single inactive glucuronide
- Elimination
- In the urine
- Half-life
- About 8 hours on average; longer in people over 80
Indications
- Anxiety disorders, including anxiety with depression Generalized anxiety disorder →
- Acute alcohol withdrawal Alcohol withdrawal and delirium tremens →
Adverse effects
Common
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Paradoxical excitement in older adults
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity to oxazepam
- Psychoses (not an indication)
Key interactions
- Opioids
- Profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death
- Alcohol and other central nervous system depressants
- Additive sedation and breathing depression
What is monitored
- Sedation and breathing
- Low blood pressure and falls in older adults
- Withdrawal signs during tapering
Administration and safety
- Given by mouth (capsules)
- Controlled medicine; tapered when stopped
Nursing care
- Before each dose, check level of alertness, breathing rate and oxygen saturation
- Ask about opioids, alcohol and other sedatives
- Prevent falls, especially in older adults (unsteadiness, confusion)
- Teach not to drive or drink alcohol and not to stop the medicine suddenly
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Use late in pregnancy can cause sedation and withdrawal symptoms in the newborn, who is watched after birth.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Why is oxazepam useful in alcohol withdrawal with liver damage?
It is only glucuronidated, with no active metabolites, so it accumulates less.
Oxazepam is a metabolite of which benzodiazepine?
Diazepam (and temazepam).
In whom is the half-life of oxazepam longer?
In people over 80.
Related drugs
Related conditions
← Back to the class: Benzodiazepines
Educational content on how drugs work; not a prescribing guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.
Sources: DailyMed - OXAZEPAM capsule (DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2026); DailyMed - DIAZEPAM tablet (DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2026); ATCDDD - ATC/DDD Index (WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, 2026).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.